Other Unclassified Complete

733667-001-018-0004

National Archives and Records Administration

Released
Published
Added to archive
Jun 16, 2026
Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Original size
2.4 MB
External ID
37532cdaf73bbd7166631863f549ae74181f529e0e61c1ee41a3275fb0ae018c
Confidence
85%
Credibility
90%

View original document ↗ hosted at the official government source

Intelligence summary

This document is a personnel statement from John L. Aarnink, an Air Traffic Control Specialist at the FAA, detailing his observations during the Japan Airlines Flight 1628 incident on November 18, 1986, near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Tags & topics

Air traffic controlAviation incidentsUAP FAAJapan AirlinesRadar ObservationUFO

Locations referenced

LocationContextConfidenceSupporting text
Anchorage, AK Unknown Context Low …1628) north of Fairbanks, Alaska on November 18, 1986 at 0218 UTC. My name is John L. Aarnink (AA). I am employed as an Air Traffic Control Specialist by the F
Fairbanks, AK Incident Location Unresolved PERSONNEL STATEMENT FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center January 9, 1986 The following is a report concerning the incident

Extracted timeline

Jun 15, 1986

Document Date (year hint)

Document Date (year hint) for 733667-001-018-0004

Jun 16, 2026

Ingestion Date

Ingestion Date for 733667-001-018-0004

Jun 16, 2026

Document Record Date

Document Record Date for 733667-001-018-0004

Jun 16, 2026

Update Date

Update Date for 733667-001-018-0004

Entities mentioned

Full document text

1,518 characters, transcribed via OCR. Errors reflect the source scan. Compare with the original ↗

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PERSONNEL STATEMENT FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center January 9, 1986 The following is a report concerning the incident to Japan Airlines Flight 1628 (JL1628) north of Fairbanks, Alaska on November 18, 1986 at 0218 UTC. My name is John L. Aarnink (AA). I am employed as an Air Traffic Control Specialist by the Federal Aviation Administration at the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), Anchorage, Alaska. During the period of 2230 UTC, November 17, 1986 to 0630 November 18, 1986 I was on duty in the Anchorage ARTCC. I was training on Sector D13 from 2300 UTC, November 1/7, 1986, to 0300 UTC, November 18, 1986. I was on my way to take a break when I noticed the unusual activity at the Sector 15 positions. I plugged into the C15 position and assisted them by answering telephone lines, making and taking handoffs, and coordinating as necessary. As to the specific incident, I monitored the aircrafts transmissions and observed data on the radar that coinsided with information that the pilot of JL1628 reported. I coordinated with the ROCC on the BRAVO and CHARLIE lines. They confirmed they also saw data in the same location. At approximately abeam CAWIN intersection, I no longer saw the data and the pilot advised he no longer saw the traffic. I called the ROCC and they advised they had lost the target. I then unplugged from the position and went on a break. LS < Jotm<L. Aarnink ‘Air Traffic Control Specialist /~ anchorage ARTCC 3 Fe me eee.